Enterprise Hulk Towed for Dismantling

The retired carrier left Newport News Shipbuilding for final disposal work in Mobile, Alabama.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Nuclear

Gray aircraft carrier hull being towed away from a shipyard pier by small tugboats on calm water under overcast skies. — The retired nuclear carrier USS Enterprise was towed Monday from Newport News Shipbuilding toward Mobile, Alabama, for dismantling and reactor disposal. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The hulk of USS Enterprise (CVN-65) was towed from a pier at Newport News Shipbuilding on Monday, nearly 15 years after the carrier's final deployment. The ship will be dismantled in Mobile, Alabama, where its remaining reactors will be removed and the radioactive materials disposed of.

Why it matters

Enterprise carries eight reactors, more than the two found on each Nimitz and Ford-class carrier, so its disposal requires specialized nuclear handling. The move marks a step toward closing out one of the Navy's oldest carriers.

The Navy has spent about $1.3 billion on Enterprise's total inactivation, and NorthStar's $418 million disposal contract replaced HII's role in defueling. Enterprise's eight reactors far exceed the two each on Nimitz and Ford-class carriers, and the schedule for finishing the work remains unannounced.

The players

USS Enterprise (CVN-65)

The Navy's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, which completed its final deployment nearly 15 years before being towed for dismantling.

NorthStar

The contractor awarded the $418 million Navy contract to defuel and dispose of the Enterprise.

HII (Huntington Ingalls Industries)

The shipbuilder that was the primary contractor for Enterprise's inactivation and defueling before losing the disposal award to NorthStar.

The details

HII dropped a legal challenge to the Navy's decision to award NorthStar the disposal contract last month. The reactor compartment is too large to remove as a single section, so the hull itself must be disassembled.

July: NorthStar won the defueling contract for Enterprise.
Last month: HII dropped its legal challenge to the NorthStar award.
Monday: Enterprise hulk towed from Newport News Shipbuilding.

Big Picture

Enterprise's eight reactors set it apart from the two-reactor Nimitz-class carriers that succeeded it, so its dismantling requires a different disposal process than later vessels. The Navy's handling of its reactors in Mobile will inform how future nuclear carriers are retired.

Dismantling Enterprise's reactors in Mobile will produce radioactive material that must be disposed of through controlled nuclear waste channels. The process shows how retired nuclear ships are broken down safely.

The takeaway

Retired nuclear carriers carry far more reactor material than later designs, so their final disposal requires careful planning. Tracking contract awards like NorthStar's offers a clear view of how the Navy manages this process.